My Baltic adventure starts in capital city of Vilnius. I arrived early to explore the city while wiping away jet lag. After hours of travel it is a privilege to arrive in a small easy-to-navigate airport.
My lodging at Shakespeare hotel placed me at an easy walk to cafes & shops in Old Town. And dinner of traditional potato pancakes &. Pear cider were perfect.
The next morning I took a walk before brekkie & I discovered Cathedral Square – great architecture.
Then later took a walking tour of Vilnius which oriented me to sites & gave me a good intro to history of city & country. Lithuania has a rich history & amazing resilience. Its own language I find puzzling. Its geographical location between Germany & Russia- very tough. Very impressed with people & pride. While stoic, the pride in keeping their city clean & safe is to be commended.
Vilnius was a walled city & most of walled was removed during Russian occupation.
There is a small eclectic self proclaimed republic which gives city a fun vibe.
We trained 30 minutes outside of town to Traika lovely castle near a charming village with a scenic lake. Fun walking through village hacking out homes, cafes & shops.
In all found Vilnius interesting, charming easy to navigate. Great traditional restaurants. Friendly & reserved citizens who seemed very proud citizens. Safe. Clean. Fun.
Great into to Baltic states.
Now on to Latvia
Camino Venture 